A Lack of Composure
by ShowBones
Summary: Nick hoped for the refreshing inspiration of spring, but when the season of love causes him to dream about a certain girl, he finds himself inspired in all the wrong places. NACY. "T" for sexual allusions, but nothing graphic. Pre-JONAS LA. Last chapt up!
1. A Lack of Composure

_**Disclaimer:**__** Not real.  
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_**Author's Note:**__** This is my first JONAS fanfic. I put a lot of work into this and would like to thank both **__Whats Mine Is Yours__** and **__dreamingofwarwickave__** for beta-reading this piece and for their awesome comments/advice. I really hope you all enjoy this, and please tell me what you think! I'd like to know what your thoughts are in regards to this NACY story.**_

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**_**A Lack of Composure  


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**

Nick would be lying if he said he didn't know when he first started noticing her. He knew the day it happened and could pinpoint what first caught his eye. There was no convincing him otherwise because now he couldn't help _but_ notice her. She haunted his every thought. The more he tried to avoid it, the more troublesome it became. It was exhausting battling himself so much, but now he was ready to give in.

However, Nick wondered why it took so long to realize what she meant to him. There was no doubt she did a lot for him, his band, his family, his fans – that she helped make attending Horace Mantis academy worth it. He admired her ability to be so genuine with those she met, and passionate for the things she loved to do. If Nick listed off her good qualities, he'd wonder how he got through most of the year without trying to make a move.

Granted, Nick being rather reserved was nothing new, but he usually knew what he wanted and wasted no time to get it. _She_ was different though. Somehow, she flew under the radar and caught him completely off guard. Even though this night was ultimately for the sake of Joe and Stella, Nick's attention lay heavily on the girl digging her feet in the sand and curling up before the bonfire. He had to admit that even the way she roasted her marshmallow was endearing, ignoring that it was clearly burned on the bottom and that yes – Stella was right – his favorite fedora looked far better on her than on him.

Nick wasn't sure how to deal with the situation, but he was tired of fighting it. Whatever happens, will happen. Forgetting precautions, all he could do was hope for the best and that somehow, she could forgive him.

**

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One month earlier**

Nick's fingers graced over his keyboard, ready to hit before the ominous negativity from downstairs interrupted his creative process. It was Joe's groaning and Stella's well-articulated lectures that invaded every inch of space, and it was one of the only reasons why he hated how open the firehouse really was.

In all honesty, this was nothing new. Joe and Stella's relationship had been rocky from the start, but unfortunately their low point just _had_ to arrive with Winter's leave. Nick didn't dare to interrupt them. Learning from Kevin's mistake taught him that anyone who'd ask them to take their conversation outside would get a full serving of hell from Stella. No. Nick knew better.

None the less, he was tired of their arguing. The negativity wasn't inspirational, and really, he just wanted to work on his music in peace.

"Love is in the airrrr…" Kevin sang to the vacuum as he whimsically stepped aside, oblivious to the turmoil from downstairs. He even went as far as to dip the handle, as if it were a dance partner, "every time I look arrrrooound."

"Bad timing, Kev," Nick noted as he stood up to grab his phone from across the room. "That's probably the most ironic song you could sing right now."

Kevin, on the other hand, wasn't fazed. "But it's true, Nick. "Setting the vacuum aside, he threw himself over the edge of Joe's bed, "you know Spring is the season of love. Can't you feel it, bro?" Kevin shot up suddenly, raised his brows with an assuring nod and smirk, "I've got a sixth sense about these things."

"Oh yeah?" Nick asked, though he focused more on locating Macy's number as he figured _now_ would not be the time to engage Kevin in this kind of conversation. "'Least you don't see ghosts."

For a split second Kevin's face went pale (oh the terror it brought), but soon all color returned with a new found curiosity. "Hey, who you calling? Probably shouldn't call anyone over, seeing as _you know who-s_ are arguing"

"You know 'who-s'?" Nick asked, brows furrowed. "That doesn't even.. nevermind." Nick headed into the bathroom and left his brother with no answer. Locking the door behind him, he sighed in relief when Macy picked up.

"Nick of _JONAS_?" Macy excitedly perked from the other end.

"Hey. Think we can meet before school tomorrow?"

...

"Stella was really fired up…" Macy frowned, patting her face dry before tossing the towel into her locker. It seemed unnecessary to Nick because she didn't look sweaty even after her morning run, but his concerns were better placed elsewhere for the time being. "She just went on about Joe sending mixed signals. I mean Joe interrupting her conversations with other guys isn't enough, but if _I_ were her _I'd_ be happy if Joe were interested to know who I'm talking to_ at all_!"

Ignoring the slight fan-girlish comment, Nick nodded and thought about how far they'd have to go to make sure Joe and Stella resolved their problems… again. "Sounds like last time. All Joe could say yesterday was 'I don't know' as he ate ice cream while watching movies. He was bummed, but definitely confused."

"Poor Joe," Macy frowned, but expressed an even greater concern for the younger Lucas as she turned towards him, "and poor _you_! Must be difficult writing songs with them arguing."

"Nah, it's not too bad," he assured, "I just want them to clear things up before the weather goes bad. I mean after that long winter, I'd like a refreshing form of inspiration."

Macy agreed enthusiastically, reminding Nick of why she was the right person to turn to for this kind of scheming. "That's understandable… oh, but of course, not that _I_ would really understand.. I'm not a JONAS, just a fan. But I have your best interest at heart, and I would like to think that I'm a friend, too, and not just a fan because really I've been working on that a lot more and- "

"Uh, Macy?" He interrupted.

"Huh? Yes?"

"You're rambling again…"

Though she paused at first, Macy finally relaxed and fell back to her usual smile as she exhaled the breath she'd supposedly held in for – well, who knows how long. "Sorry."

Shaking his head, Nick glanced around the hallway. More students were arriving, which meant the two really had to get down to business. "We need to figure out a way to get those two on good terms again. Getting Joe to apologize with flowers worked well, but it took a lot to get Joe to realize giving flowers was the right way to go in the first place..."

"Oh yes, very true."

"And the movie night worked alright last time, but I doubt that would work again. Lots of popcorn to microwave."

"Well you know _Joe_ and his love for popcorn.."

"And _Kevin_."

Macy snorted a laugh. "Well, spring break is coming up," She declared, more so to her locker's mirror as she threaded out the braids of her hair with her fingers. "We can plan something then? Something really romantic. Like outdoors and under the stars! And the beach!"

"Hm, that could work..." Nick nodded along, brows furrowing in thought as he ran his thumb under his chin. An idea was coming together now, one that had to be a sure win. One that would allow the firehouse to be left in peace for at least the rest of the season.

Within seconds, Nick's enthusiasm overwhelmed him as he grabbed Macy's shoulders in excitement, facing her head on. "Macy! That's perfect! That's -"

And then he froze.

"W-what? What's wrong?" She asked. Her eyes were wide again and she too froze. Nick was staring her down and she didn't know why, completely oblivious to how well the curls from her braids had framed her face.

"You- ..You're…" Nick's mind was drawing blanks, something that rarely ever happened to him. On any other occasion, Nick would know the right thing to say or take the time to formulate a proper response. But now was different. Now, Nick was at a loss. _C'mon, say something!_ He wanted to let her go and to turn away –stop himself from being so helplessly pulled into Macy's innocent gaze that made his heart unwillingly race. _Say something, Nick! At this point, say ANYTHING!_ "EUROPE!" He finally exclaimed. _...Really? …Okay, maybe you should have kept quiet. _"That sounds like Europe.. REMINDS ME of Europe. You know. When we toured there.. before.. outside.."

_Smooth._

Luckily, Macy went along and sighed in relief, and Nick was glad she was buying his lame excuse. "Of course! I'm sure it was really beautiful."

Macy's beaming smile, despite the fact that he continued to hold her, struck Nick in a way that surprised him. Things were weird enough, because he already didn't understand how the mere sight of her could suddenly leave him at a loss for words – or at least hinder his ability to _critically think_ about what to say _before_ he'd say it. "Yeah," Nick muttered, "just, gorgeous." He almost let himself get lost again, but after lingering on he finally snapped back and pulled away. "Well right. Good!" He suddenly exclaimed as he cleared his throat and excessively adjusted his backpack on his shoulder. "Great. We'll talk more about it over dinner – I mean_ lunch_. Or I'll call yo- TEXT you. I'll text you." _You really need to stop, man._

"Alright, Nick of _JONAS_." Macy playfully noted, even offering an innocent hand shake. "Pleasure doing business with you! Hope I'll be seeing you again soon,"

"Yeah, me too." Nick added, but quickly regretted. Only then was he finally able to turn away and start heading to class. "Okay, yep. Alright! See you!"

Walking away from Macy was difficult. For the first time, Nick felt torn between turning back to talk to her more (as if he'd know what else to say. Because really, what do you say after that?) or continue walking off, knowing she was watching him leave.

But Nick had to take his lack-of-composure into consideration. He had a reputation to uphold, after all, so not surprisingly he opted for the latter.

...

The school day dragged on forever, and Nick was feeling more irritable by the minute. Not only was he unable to concentrate in class, but he also found himself caught in everyone's drama. Joe would talk to him about Stella. Stella would talk to him about Joe. Kevin would talk to him about Joe and Stella (and cookies), and his Dad kept pestering his phone with frantic questions about the lack of new material (it wasn't often that his dad would text Nick at school, but times were getting desperate). Most of the time, Nick could handle the pressure as all he needed was some time alone to sort things through.

But, on this particular day, whenever he _was_ alone, his mind would wander off to the last thing Nick thought he'd ever think about: Macy's whereabouts.

Maybe Nick was _unintentionally_ avoiding her, or maybe she was avoiding him. Nonetheless, his day had gone completely Macy-less since their morning conversation and he didn't understand why he'd care. He wouldn't have been so distracted by her absence if he didn't.

Despite all struggles though, as soon school ended he found himself looking for excuses to stay. Dealing with his thoughts alone ultimately seemed to be a far better choice than returning to the stress of the firehouse that was surely awaiting him. Furthermore, he hoped that something (or _someone_) would come turn his day around, and sure enough an unexpected phone call from Macy did just that.

It was a brief conversation, but after failing to write new material in the peacefulness of school's atrium, Nick found himself rushing to the gym to get dressed down - after all, exploring what Macy excitedly described on the phone as "the perfect spot" for Joe and Stella would be best done in clothes that Stella would not kill him over ruining.

Besides, he hoped that _finally _seeing Macy would help but his mind at rest.

...

Nick was luckily able to follow Macy's lead along the beach trail because yes, Macy was a good leader – not because her pony tail made her hair less distracting than it had been that morning. Even when she teased him about jogging too slow behind her, Nick did not let her get away with it because he was more distracted by her shorts – it was because he "had" to focus on the wooded trail. _Who knows? Anyone could easily trip on a tree root.. or a rock.. or something._

Nick did not find it difficult to follow Macy's lead.

Upon reaching the end of the trail, Nick slowed down to a mere walk as he gazed along the secluded coast line. It would be an understatement to assume he was anything less than amazed. "This is amazing, Mace. How'd you find out about this place?"

Macy was a few paces ahead, standing with her hands at her hips as she shrugged. "The cross country team likes to cool off here after summer practices when the days are super hot. It's probably too cold to run into the waves now, but it feels really nice in the summer."

"Yeah, I'd bet."

Nick caught up to Macy, but was still taken back by the view. The beach was by no means as glamorous as those of California or Miami, but it was comfortably small and quiet. They figured this would be the perfect rendezvous point for the lost lovers.

"I'm thinking we should have a bonfire to kick off spring break. Use that to get Joe and Stella together and make up for.. whatever Joe this time."

"That's brilliant!" The brunette exclaimed. "There's even a park nearby with a more accessible path than the cross country trail, so it won't be too hard for people to make it here."

"There's another path?" Nick asked, quirking a brow. "After all that running – you're telling me _now _there's an easier way to get here?"

Suddenly, Macy went from excited to worried, hands opening and closing from fists (as she always did when she was about to freak-out). It was panic-stricken Macy all over again. "I'm sooo, sorry, Nick! I- I should have told you. But, I was running anyway and I guess I wasn't thinking when I told you. I'm sorry to make you run!"

"Don't worry," Nick laughed, figuring that teasing her wasn't the nicest thing to do after all. "I don't mind."

Slowly, Macy returned back to her original excitement with a relieved sigh. She clapped her hands and bounced off the heels, glad to know Nick wasn't really upset, and even happier to help a JONAS in need. He was glad too, and thankful to have enlisted her help for yet another stop-the-Joe-and-Stella-drama-scheme. Furthermore, he was thankful to be introduced to such a scene! Being there with Macy made him feel at ease. Calm. Collected. At peace. Inspired, even. No, he didn't have a pen or instrument on him, but his mind was racing with creative ideas for tunes and lyrics.

"Are you tired?" Macy asked, already crouched down on the sand and in the middle of untying her running shoes. "I'm going to go soak my feet in the water."

"Huh?"

This time, rather than being overwhelmed by the view, Nick's eyes were stuck on Macy as she skipped away, barefoot and all, towards the incoming waves. She moved in a way that made her seem light, and the delicate imprints her feet made on the sand somehow captured the cheerfulness she exuded. It was a refreshing sight to see, yet caused an unexplainable flutter in his chest.

As soon as she reached the water, she squealed at the cold rush brushed against her ankles. Despite the brisk waves, though, she smiled. She smiled warmly back at Nick as she waved him over to join her.

"Nah, I'm not that sore from running" Nick called out, which wasn't true, but he definitely was not the type to randomly walk into water – not without the proper attire.

"Well at least come here to look!" With that said, Macy pointed out toward the horizon. From his point of view everything looked beautiful enough, but after following her skipped-trail, he was able to see what she wanted him to see all along. _This visit was definitely worth the trip._ "The sunset's beautiful, right?"

"Yeah..." Nick noted as he slowly approached her, eyes still fixated on the sunset ahead. If it were anybody else, Nick might have thought of this as cliché, but those words coming from Macy felt genuine to him. He really appreciated that.

He glanced over at her, hands stuffed into the pockets of his shorts. He nudged his elbow gently against her arm to grab her attention. He smiled and said, "You're amazing, Macy.."

..But of course, that's not what he really meant to say. _Crap!_

"I'm amazing?" she asked, bright eyed.

"I- Uh - mean. Your idea. It's. It's _all_ amazing." Nick even threw his arms out of the pockets to motion to their surroundings. "All of it. It's all just.. wow. Great thinking."

"Oh.." She breathed out and glanced down, away from his nervous stare.

For a second, he thought he went too far and maybe he should backtrack. He felt guilty and was ready to speak up again before she looked up with a refreshed smile and a friendly shrug.

"Anything for our friends, right?"

"Right.." He nodded, though less enthusiastically. "it's all for them."

"Heeey Macy!" A familiar voice called out from behind them. "Awesome find, my friend!"

"Oh! Hi Kevin!"

"Kevin?" Suddenly, Nick spun around to find Kevin heading toward them from the park's trail, jogging to meet up with them at the coastline. "What's Kevin doing here?"

"Oh... well, I thought Kevin knew about the whole Joe-and-Stella plan and called him over. Plus! He asked if I knew where you were, so I told him you'd meet me here."

"Yeah, Bro.." Kevin chimed in, resting his arms on both Nick and Macy as he made himself comfortable between the two – much to his brother's dismay. "You weren't answering your phone, and Dad was all, 'hey, where's Nick?' And then I was all, 'oh, I don't know.' Then dad was like, 'he won't answer my text' and I was like 'oh, that's weird' and he was all 'Yeah' and I was like… '…yeah'."

Rolling his eyes and sighing, Nick turned back to Macy. "Do, uh, you need a ride back to school? Or home? I need to head back to get my books and clothes, but I'm sure Kev won't mind driving."

Kevin added a wink and a shake of his head, letting her know he didn't mind it at all.

"Thanks, but no thanks.." She shrugged. Pulling her hair tie out of her hair and letting her locks fall (_really? Right now?)_, she brushed her fingers through to fix her pony tail but unknowingly drew Nick's helpless gaze in. "I should finish my run. Tennis try-outs start tomorrow and I really want to keep my spot on varsity, so I mustn't get lazy!"

"Alright then!" Kevin patted her shoulder and pulled back, "stay safe! Call if you need anything. C'mon, bro."

Kevin started to head back to the park, but Nick found himself torn once again. "Sure you'll be alright?" He asked. It was the gentlemen in him that wanted to be sure Macy would be fine (but if any girl could take care of herself, it'd most likely be Macy Misa).

"Yeah, I'll be fine." She grinned. Her hands then threaded into her hair and pulled it back, and she assured Nick, "I'm gonna head back on the trail anyway."

"Alright.." Offering Macy a casual nod, Nick waved her goodbye before following Kevin's lead. Occasionally along the way, however, he'd peek back at her from over his shoulder, but eventually Macy stopped watching them and instead let her hair fall back down. Only at the beach's exit did Nick see Macy turn back to the water, settling down on the sand to watch the rest of the sunset alone.

* * *

After another incredible show, Nick was glad to be back in his own dressing room where he could unwind. Though he loved his fans and his brothers, he also liked his own space, even for just a little while. He plopped on the couch, tearing out of his leather jacket and wiping the sweat from his forehead when someone began knocking on his door.

"Nick?" the person called out as they peaked in through the door.

"Macy!" Perking up and tossing his towel aside, he tried to peek around her to see if she had company, but the door closed quickly behind as she entered alone. "What are you doing here? Didn't know you were coming tonight."

Macy grinned and tip-toed her way across the room towards him. "Of course I'd be here! I am president of the JONAS fan club, after all. I'd never miss a JONAS concert." Macy then bowed a quick curtsy, making Nick laugh and pat the empty spot on the couch beside him.

"Well I'm glad you came," Nick started, at first able to keep eye contact with her before he took in her whole outfit – all of which made him choke on his words. A well fitted black tube dress. A dressy leather jacket. Black heels with wraps that even Nick could barely follow. And her _hair_, since when did her hair attract him so much? "What, uh.." He had to pause and clear his throat. "What'd you think of the show?"

As Macy claimed her seat beside him, she enthusiastically answered, "Soooo awesome! As always, you guys were ah-mazing!"

"Aw, thanks."

She nodded, but talking about the concert wasn't what she came in for. "Actually – I wanted to talk to you about something else." _Oh?_ Nick thought. _Man I hope this won't be bad.._ "About Joe and Stella."

"Oh." _Of course!_ "What about them?"

"Well, you know. They work so well together and sure they have their moments… but." Macy bit her lip, pausing to think before adding, "how do you think they, you know, justify their relationship?" Not surprisingly, the confused look on Nick's face tipped Macy off, to which she tried her best to clarify, "As in, why do you think they both know they want to be more than friends, and not just stay... friends?"

It was an odd question to ask, considering that he was neither Joe nor Stella, but Macy looked genuinely curious which thus compelled him to answer. "Dunno... I guess if you like someone and you believe in your friendship enough to make that commitment, why not date your best friend like what Joe and Stella are doing." Nick then shrugged, brows furrowed in thought before adding, "or any friend for that matter. I mean there's a risk, but if you're willing to take that risk, that's got to say something about how strongly you feel about them, right?"

It took Macy a moment to process his words, but soon a calm smile spread across her face and she returned her attention to him. "Yeah, that makes sense. I'd agree."

They nodded – in silence for a while, but Nick didn't mind it much. It was rather comfortable.

"Nick?" Macy asked again.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think... well. We're friends, right?"

"Yeah. Of course."

"Good friends?"

"I'd say so."

"And you know I care about you... not just as a fan, but you know. As a friend!"

"Well, sure. I care a lot about you too."

"Really?" She asked again, this time seeming more nervous.

"'Course. Why wouldn't I?"

Macy paused and held onto her thought. Nick was lost, but soon enough – "How much?"

_Um. What? _"...Excuse me?"

"How much, you know.. do you care about our friendship?"

Now Nick was _for sure_ lost. Was this a trick question? He'd heard about girls tricking guys into saying the wrong thing and making them pay hell for it later, but he never had much experience with that. And if he did, his brothers were usually around to answer first and essentially test out the waters. But here, Nick was swimming without a life jacket.

"I'm not following... what do you-" And then it hit him.

_Oh…_

At first he was shocked – frozen, even. Every thought he ever had about Macy raced through his head and he couldn't grasp onto a single one. Emotions came next. All the times he felt uneasy, afraid of the dangers she once brought (though those days were long gone, thankfully), the times she astounded him with her genius ideas and the times she made him so confused that it left him clueless as to what to do.

_Is she really asking me if I like her more than a friend?_

Nick wasn't sure of anything anymore, and soon enough he lost focus of his actions. One moment he was staring as if he were waiting for the punch line of a joke, and the next he couldn't keep himself from leaning in, lips daring to brush over hers before _really_ going for it.

His hand reached up to gently pull at the back of her neck and keep her in close, and his other slipped over to rest at her hip. He kissed her, and he couldn't control it. He wanted to break free and apologize, but instead he found his lips parting – inviting her in _closer_.

And much to his luck, Macy didn't resist. Though she was shocked, she quickly eased up and began to press her own lingering kisses against his, hands grazing over his jaw line and along the sides of his neck.

"Nick.." Macy muttered against his lips, her breathing becoming shallow - _needing_. "I.. really want you…"

"WHOAGHHH!" Nick shot up.

Breathing heavily with sweat dripping down his temples, his eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness of his surroundings as Nick found himself facing the window before his bed.

He wasn't in a backstage dressing room. There was no couch and there was no Macy. Instead, Nick was in his room. Alone... minus his brothers (who luckily slept like bricks).

"Whaat the heck was that?" He sighed, feeling physically tired but mentally awake. He leaned forward and rested his forehead to his palms. His skin felt stickier than ever, and the bed sheets felt uncomfortably heavy.

Shaking it off, Nick rolled over and climbed out of his bed. He quietly padded his way towards the bathroom where he hoped to cool down – maybe wash up before going back, but upon meeting the mirror he realized he had another problem at hand.

Or rather, behind the cover of his pajama pants. "Ugh… really?" Feeling embarrassed, he repeatedly reminded himself, _it happens to all guys. This isn't uncommon. Get over it_ and instead opted for a full-on cold shower. Sure it would wake him up, but he felt exhausted enough to pass out soon after anyway, and Nick lacked the determination to properly deal with his… issue (in fact, he had more determination to ignore it).

However, even after showering, he could not help but to visualize scenes from his dream that kept him up for the rest of the night. Macy coming to see him, alone. Macy wearing a dress that just _worked_. Macy sitting with him, smiling at him. And the most tempting part of it all, though he'd hate to admit it, was the idea of kissing her. No matter what, his mind would always wander back to that exact part of his dream.

And he thought he had more self-control.

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_**next chapter: A Lack of Willpower**_

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_**A/N: Please review and tell me what you think! I'd really appreciate it!**_


	2. A Lack of Willpower

_**Disclaimer: Same as before**_

_**Authors Note: Thank you for all the reviews for the first chapter :) This one is a bit shorter, but there is one more chapter to go after this so I hope you all continue to enjoy! And please review!  
**_

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**A Lack of Composure - Chapter 2  


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"I swear, Frankie said these were fool-proof tricks!" Kevin uttered, frantically flipping through the pages of their younger brother's magic guidebook (which included marginal notes and additions from Frankie himself). "The frog was supposed to jump out of the hat by now."

"Maybe you're missing the frog," Stella blatantly commented as the fluttering of her eyelashes eased (but not eliminated) hints of sarcasm.

"And maybe _you're_ missing the point," added Joe. It wasn't the wisest move on his part. "He's supposed to pull a frog out of the hat. It wouldn't be magic if he had one in there already. Duh."

If Nick were paying enough attention to the oncoming battle between Joe and Stella, he would have sworn that the tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife – but he had no mind for them or his lunch at all. Instead, all he could think about was sleep – and how the table top looked like the perfect place to doze off on.

"Stella! Stella!" Macy panicked, rushing to the group from down the hall.

"Macy!" Nick and Stella simultaneously perked, but Nick was the only one to fully stand up from his seat. He would be hard pressed to find anyone who didn't notice how quickly jumped to his feet from sleeping.

_Very smooth, Nick._ "Maaacy… heeey," he greeted, desperately trying to recover. Macy, on the other hand, stopped running and opted for a more cautious approach, quirking a brow at him as she inched closer towards them. "You look tired. From running and all… I thought, um, maybe you'd like to have a seat?"

Nick even went as far as to pull his chair out for her, but Macy simply smiled and shook her head. "No, I'm alright. Thank you, though." She then turned back to Stella, while everyone else's eyes were struggling to pull away from Nick's odd behavior. "Actually, Stella, I wanted to ask you if you could do me a HUGE favor and head my JONAS fan club meeting after school. Tennis try-outs are starting an hour earlier than I thought and I already told my JONAS-heads we wouldn't have to reschedule this week but now I wish we did and I _would_ have if I knew that Coach Larsen didn't have a pregnant wife at home and you'd think she would get someone else to take her to the doctor but-"

"Alright, alright!" The blonde interrupted, "I'll cover you. Just, remember to breathe sometimes, okay?"

"Oh right! You have try outs!" Kevin exclaimed. Finally putting Frankie's magic kit aside, he raised a hand to high-five her, "Good luck with that!"

"Thanks, Kevin!"

"You going for varsity?" Asked Joe.

"Yup! Although the softball team has been trying to recruit me, so if I don't make varsity, I'll probably just join softball. They said they need a really solid pitcher."

"Yeah, well I'm sure you'll do great." Nick assuring her wasn't weird to him, but apparently he spoke too soon because as soon as his mouth opened again, the awkward glances between he and Macy picked up and he immediately regretted the comment.

Thankfully, Macy didn't seem to mind and smiled. But it did nothing to stop the rest from staring.

...

"What was that about?" Stella asked, surprising Nick from behind his open locker door.

He tried to casually shrug it off. "What was what about?"

"You know what I'm talking about."

"Actually, I do not." Even when he kept focus on stuffing his books onto the shelves, he could feel Stella's eyes burning into him. She could easily keep it up without worrying about the bell ringing, and if he kept ignoring her, she would surely fill his message inbox with thousands of texts, all of which would ask the same question. So he gave in with a sigh, shooting her a slight glare from the corner of his eyes. "I just had a dream, that's all."

"A dream?"

"A dream."

"And was Macy a part of your dream?"

His stomach clenched at the thought - both _her_ name and that _dream_ (or any, for that matter) should not have been mentioned in the same sentence. _Maybe the 'just a dream' thing wasn't my best bet._ "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You just said you had a dream, and now I'm asking if Macy was in it." _Damn! She doesn't know, right?_ "Because you sure looked excited to see her…"

Nick gulped, but kept himself well-composed. He knew he had to get out of this fast because if he fed into the conversation any longer, he might give away too much. "No. It was just a coincidence. It happens. Sometimes people start dreaming about things happening in real life when they're about to wake up." And to Nick, this was true enough. Shutting his locker, Nick then looked Stella straight in her eyes. "Anything else?"

It was a daring move, yes, but after a moment longer Stella eased up, "Nope, that'll be all." She smiled and patted his shoulder, though the smile was undoubtedly forced and even after she turned away to head down to her next class, she just had to add, "for now" leaving Nick to dread the next time he'd slip up.

As if the reminder of his dream wasn't haunting him (and his pants) enough.

"Hey bro!" Kevin approached from behind. But he was too late.

Carrying his guitar case in front of him, Nick passed his brother with a quick, "gotta go" and headed straight for the bathroom.

_This is definitely going to be a long day._

_

* * *

_

The rest of the week wasn't any better for Nick. Joe and Stella stopped arguing, but now they weren't talking at all and having to make sure that neither would run into each other both at school and at home was exhausting. It took away from Nick's writing time and as a result, stressed out Nick's dad, so the firehouse was filled with more tension than ever._ If I could, I'd write about how frustrating this week has been_ but Nick figured that wouldn't be the most ideal way to approach a new album.

What really bothered him, however, was Macy - undoubtedly the most distracting part of his week.

Nick hadn't spent much time with her at school since she was now the captain of the varsity tennis team and spent lunch training a new softball pitcher, but he did see her in his dream - the wretched dream he'd rather forget but couldn't help think about throughout the day. It actually made him take comfort in _not_ seeing her as much, because really, how could he look her in the eyes now?

It was the same dream he'd been having – the one of her in his dressing room – but every night the dream would go further than the night before. It would always start with the innocent kissing, the kind that only made his stomach flutter and yes, he figured he could handle that much. However, the dream would progress to him towering over her on the couch with her falling back onto the cushions. Soon, their tongues would meet and he'd find it harder to breathe but even more difficult to pull away. Her hands would pull at the collar of his shirt and his would roam her sides until he could gently thumb along her hip bones, all while hitching her dress higher and higher - inch by inch. The quiet sounds she would make would echo in his ears and he would often wonder if that's what she'd sound like in real life. It nearly drove him crazy; both in his dream and when he'd be awake. And last night, he got to the point where he was able to finally kiss her neck - but not _just_ kiss - no. He went beyond that.

Nick found himself to be more daring in his dream, as if hovering over his surprisingly attractive friend wasn't daring enough. Upon Macy's neck, which she willingly exposed to him, the kisses he placed eventually turned to sucking, with slips of his tongue barely brushing over her skin. He'd end up leaving a soft trail from the base to just below her ear, and he hadn't even realized how badly he wanted to explore that part of her until he reached that portion of his dream. Now it was his secret obsession.

Every night, Nick would wake up in the same cold sweat and would take the same cold shower to calm himself down. He'd always feel guilty about his dream at first, too, but the more he imagined it the more desire and attraction he'd feel. Only recently did Kevin and Joe notice the sound of the shower running in the middle of the night, but they were respectful enough not to question it. It wasn't the kind of thing brothers would talk about anyway, so Nick never considered apologizing for it.

Every night, Nick would have trouble sleeping. He tried everything to change this habit he'd fallen into – he'd read dry and boring books before bed and drink warm milk to help him sleep after showers. He tried listening to music, tried thinking about sports, and tried doing homework but all failed to grant him a peaceful and Macy-less sleep.

Much to Nick's luck, however, the weekend arrived and allowed him to blame school for his troubled nights (it was his last resort). He knew exactly what he wanted to do to keep his mind off the usual and busy for the two day break, and intended to do so with every inch of determination his body could muster. In fact, his Saturday had gone well without any sidetracking (aside from Kevin daring him to multiple hacky-sack challenges and Joe needing to mope about Stella) until an unexpected text forced him to revisit what he'd been avoiding.

_hey its macy! wat r u up 2?_

The text message read.

At first he didn't know how to react – identifying herself though he clearly had her enlisted in his phone was completely unnecessary. Furthermore, after working so hard to _not_ think about her, here her text was, occupying the screen of his phone which he could no longer ignore.

_Not much_ - Nick responded, which was a lie, because talking to Macy was definitely not a part of his busy-weekend-plan - _What's up? _

It took Macy a couple of minutes to respond, _not that I'm counting_, but soon Nick's phone was saved from his fidgeting as her reply beeped and read,

_I need to buy a new racket_. _wanna help me pick 1? we can plan more Stella+Joe stuff_

And of course, Nick couldn't resist. _I suppose I can watch James Bond any other day._

_..._

Macy was wearing a track jacket and shorts when Nick met her at the sports store. He decided noticing how her jacket was only zipped up half way and how her shorts showed _just enough_ leg wasn't unusual, but the loose strands of hair that escaped from her ponytail, and the way she smiled when he walked in, was almost enough to make Nick lose _complete_ self-control.

"What do you think of these?" Macy asked as she held out two rackets.

Nick picked one, felt out its weight, then observed the second in the same manner. "This Wilson one seems lighter, but the framing on this Prince seems wider." After handing both rackets back, he offered an uncomfortable half-smile and added, "I don't know. Guess it depends on what kind of racket you're looking for."

Upon receiving the rackets, Macy weighed them out herself. She was in deep thought, and the way her lips pouted made him stare. "Hm. Well I prefer lighter rackets, but I need one with power, you know?" She sighed helplessly, shaking her head. "I'm sorry. It's really hard for me to pick these things out, but I figured you'd be able to give me the best advice."

Suddenly, he felt guilty. Sure he'd just arrived, but he questioned if his attention was focused on the right subject at hand. "I'm sorry. I like tennis and all, but I've only played it a couple of times. I'm actually more-"

"Into golf? I know." She then smiled up at him, playfully poking at his leg with the head of the racket before turning back to the displays. "I know because one time I visited your house, all you were doing was watching golf on TV. Plus, I remember how excited you got when your dad bought you new golf clubs for Christmas. You couldn't stop talking about them."

_Oh... wow. So she noticed._ It should have been awkward, but listening to her made Nick flush. The room became warmer than he'd realized and, oh - feeling out the volleyballs seemed to be a good way to keep himself grounded. "Well, you know," Nick started, poking and testing the firmness of the volleyballs, assuming that's what people did with them before buying one. "Golf is fun. It's usually really nice out when you play. And, you don't sweat too much, either."

Because yes, sweat was the best alternative topic Nick could think of. _Idiot._

"Good sweat or bad sweat?" Macy asked, as if it was a normal question in the first place.

_Huh? _"Since when was there a good and bad kind of sweat?"

"Well… a good sweat is when you've earned it. Like when you've worked hard while playing a game or working outside. As long as it's understandable. Bad sweat, however, is when there's no explanation for it. And, you know, when you don't use deodorant and you start smelling."

_Hm. Sounds... crazy, but oddly enough makes sense. _"Yeah but people sweat when they get nervous," Nick reminded her, coincidentally while picking up a ball that just so happened to slip out of his grip within a split second, and thus sent all other balls to topple over.

It was as if he was now living one of those cliche scenes from the movies - the kinds of movies only those like Michael Cera (and now Nick Lucas) could pull off. The guy would try to act cool and calm, try to impress the girl he'd been after all along (_wait, am I really after Macy here?_), but every move he made would only reveal just how embarrassing and utterly pathetic his attempts really were.

Sometimes, the guy would be lucky as the girl would find his clumsiness endearing - but here? No. Nick was sure he'd be the lame-o who had just completely messed up everything. How was Macy able to reveal this clumsy nerd he had apparently been hiding beneath his usual nonchalant facade? ...He didn't even know.

"Whoa!" She instinctively reached out to keep the rest of the volleyballs from falling out of the shelf, and the way she shook her head at him made his cheeks heat up even more.

His palms were _for sure_ a give-away at this point because the sweaty imprint he left on the ball was definitely there. There was no smooth recovery he could rely on, but Macy started to laugh and Nick decided that maybe he'd be spared from any further embarrassment. "Are _you _nervous, Nick?"

_Okay...on second thought..._ "No. I'm just saying-"

"Because I'd say that's a good sweat. It's kind of cute, actually. Unless you're nervous because you did something terrible, which I can't imagine you'd ever do, right?" Nick wondered if he should have allowed her to keep interrupting him. Every time she did, the more his heart swelled up and he swore, she just called him cute.

Shrugging, Nick cleared his throat. Calmly pushing the balls back in place, he gave her a half smile as he glanced over. "I guess you could say I'm just nervous then."

Judging by the way Macy's smile dropped, and the way her eyes continued to stare into his, Nick found his breathing becoming shallow. He knew it was a daring response because anyone could read from her face that she wanted to ask _why_, but ultimately both dreaded the answer.

Instead, Nick pulled his lower lip in as his eyes wandered downward. Macy's own lips hadn't moved at all, but to Nick they seemed fuller than ever. The tiny voice in his mind screamed at him – told him to stop staring, but _god_, how could he? He thought, _maybe it is worth the risk... _

He shifted away from the shelf._ Maybe she's feeling the same way..._

He took a step towards her. _Maybe__, just maybe, she'll let me...  
_

"Can I help you two find anything?" A disinterested employee called out from the end of the isle.

_...MAN! Are you serious?_ Nick let out a low groan as he looked behind Macy to shake his head at the employee – in the least frustrated way possible.

"Oh! No thanks," Macy perked. She tore her eyes away from Nick to kindly wave the employee off, only to return her focus back to her rackets and picked one. "This reminds me, by the way. You missed my volleyball game last fall."

"I did?" Nick asked. He returned the safe distance between them as he stepped back, clearing his throat again and trying to erase the last few seconds from his memory. Because no, Nick did not just consider kissing Macy and his failed attempt was not interrupted. Such a scene was not Nick Lucas' style.

"You did." She nodded. Finally turning away and leading him further into the isles of the store, she casually browsed the shelves, touching random equipment from time to time as she continued on, "not that I'm holding it against you because I'm sure you were probably busy, but you promised you'd be there and we were playing to win our division, and. I don't know. You just… didn't show up."

Nick sighed. Rubbing the back of his neck didn't help to ease the guilt, but it sure did help him prevent the nervous sweat from sticking to the collar of his shirt. "I don't even remember… I'm sorry, Macy."

"It's fine." Macy shrugged. "Don't know why I brought it up. Like I said, I don't mean to hold it against you, but it was something that bummed me out until recently."

"Why until recently?"

"Because, you're supporting me now by helping me find a racket." At that moment, Macy turned around to face him, smiling warmly at him again which he didn't expect at all. In fact, the tiny voice in his head nearly convinced him that Macy was going him have it by whacking him across the face with her Prince in hand, but no. Instead, Macy knighted Nick's shoulder with a tap, a mischievous glare that was all too familiar of Stella's narrowing in on him (_Stella must have taught her how to do that_), "_and_ you're going to come watch my first tennis match this season."

_Oh._

"Yeah," Nick nervously agreed. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."

* * *

"Aw, man! Turn it up! I love this song!"

"Kevin," Joe started, "this isn't even a song. It's a commercial."

"No, Joseph. It's a commercial jingle, which is still a song, and a really catchy one at that."

"Please, spare me…" Nick grumbled.

As Kevin turned up the volume of his radio, singing along to the _Crunchy Cat _commercial jingle whose meowing notes he particularly emphasized, both Joe and Nick found themselves sinking further into their seats, readjusting their sunglasses to assure _no one_ would recognize them. They were publicly parked, for goodness sake, with Joe looking rather stuffed after pigging out on fast food, Kevin merrily swinging his arms to the tune, and Nick hiding in the back seat with his head resting against the window.

Nick especially wished he could be anywhere else _but _there in the back of Kevin's car, but the three had to wait for the Big Man to finish running errands across the street, and it wasn't like he knew a safe alternative place to rest anyway.

He still had trouble sleeping. Surely, the concert dreaming had stopped, but in its place was a whole new one - one that was exactly like the concert dream except that instead of Nick's dressing room, Nick would visit Macy in the girls' locker room. His new dream had the same intense progression, but this time involved more sweating, and every night he'd wonder if he made up Macy whispering in his ear and telling him that she liked his sweat. But then again, maybe it was just wishful thinking. _Wait – wishful thinking?_

"I really don't know what to do about Stella, guys," Joe sighed, throwing his head back against the headrest. "I can't stand her being mad at me. I just- I want her to know that I _really do_ like her."

"It's like what we've been saying this whole time, Joe. You've got to _tell her._"

"But _how?_ She won't talk to me."

Kevin rolled his eyes. "Duude. Just do as I say and ask her to our spring break kick-off bon fire. Trust me, it'll work."

Nick raised a brow as he peered at the back of his eldest brother's head. _Is he really trying to take credit for that idea?_ Then he ultimately figured arguing would be a waste of time.

"I don't know," Joe sighed, again – more dramatically.

"It's a good idea, Joe." Nick dryly assured. "Trust Kevin."

Hearing Nick agree, of course, only boosted Kevin's ego. "You see? You gotta listen to your older bro and-"

"WAIT! YOU GUYS! I HAVE THE PERFECT IDEA!" Suddenly, Joe attempted to sit up, scrambling to turn in his seat and sit on his knees so that he could look at both Kevin and Nick (It actually took Joe an awfully long time to get settled, and was a sad sight to watch, but once he was set he continued on like he didn't get his foot caught on the car's emergency break). "Why don't _I_ invite _Stella_ to the bonfire? To kick off spring break? That'd be perfect!"

_And original_, Nick thought.

"Heeey!" Kevin frowned. "That was _my_ idea!"

"Yeah but, I thought of it first."

"No way, dude. I totally just said that before you did. I was like, 'hey, Joe. Ask her to the bon fire' and you were all, 'I don't know' then Nick was all-"

"Does it matter?" Nick snapped.

Then the car fell silent. Awkwardly silent. And Nick regretted it.

"Wow, what's up with you?" Joe huffed with a toss of his bangs, falling back to rest on his ankles.

"Uh, yeah, Nick. You've been kind of moody lately. What's up?"

"It's nothing, guys. Okay? It's nothing." Nick then let out a slow breath and closed his eyes to calm down, but as soon as he peeked them open, he saw that his brothers were still waiting for an answer. "I've been having trouble sleeping, that's all. It's been a rough couple of weeks."

"Is it 'cause of Dad?" Kevin asked. "I told him we don't even need to start worrying about new band stuff until summer."

"Yeah, and if it's 'cause of Stella and I then I'm sorry. You know I don't mean to drag you guys into it, too."

"No. It's not that," Nick groaned. "Or well, it was at first but trust me. Those are the least of my problems now."

"What's wrong then, little bro?"

Joe reached to tap Nick on the shoulder, "Yeah, man. You can tell us."

Peering up at them from above the rim of his sunglasses, Nick wondered why he resisted telling his brothers about his problems for so long. It made no sense to him, and quite frankly he wasn't sure how much longer he could keep every thought bottled up.

Sighing, Nick slipped his glasses off, leaned forward with his forehead pressing against the back of Joe's seat, and decided to let it all out, "It's just – I'm really lost about what to do about a certain someone because all of a sudden I can't stop thinking about them and I've been having dreams about them since and I swear I've tried everything in the book to get a good night's sleep but I always have to take a shower and then I'm awake and I can't focus in school because I keep wondering where they are and I don't even know why I care and last weekend I didn't mean to but I ended up seeing them and they said something that's been stuck in my head since then and I've even started dreaming about it and it's just made my nights even more confusing and frustrating and I don't know what to do about it. Or them. About everything."

And then there was silence. Again.

"Wow…" Kevin slowly responded, looking confused as ever. "That's either a really good Macy impression or she's rubbed off on you."

"Yeah, dude." Joe added with a laugh. He reached over towards Nick, resting his hand upon the younger brother's shoulder as he looked him in eyes and noted, "maybe it's time to take a break from her."

Kevin laughed and nodded. "No kidding."

But all Nick could do was sit and stare - brows furrowed at his brothers' words that repeated over and over again in his head. _Take a break from Macy...?_

"Alright!" the Big Man waved before climbing into the car and taking his seat next to Nick. "Let's roll."

* * *

_**Next chapter: A Lack of Evidence  


* * *

A/N: I'd love to hear what you thought of this chapter, so reviews would be really rad and greatly appreciated! One more chapter to go!**_


	3. A Lack of Evidence

_**Disclaimer: Same as before**_

_**Authors Note: Thank you for all the comments and reviews for this fic. **__**They've all been really encouraging. **__**:) Again, I'd like to thank my beta readers **__Whats Mine Is Yours__** and **__dreamingofwarwickave **and also encourage you to check out their stories. **__** As for this, I hope you all will enjoy the last installment to this piece. I had fun writing it and hope you'll all be interested in checking out my future work. Reviews would be greatly appreciated! Thank you all again!  
**_

* * *

**A Lack of Composure - Chapter 3  


* * *

**

Monday marked the third week of relentless Macy-filled dreaming and to Kevin, 'the-first-day-of-the-last-week-of-school-before-spring-break'. Nick only knew this because he'd been marking how many days it had been since he had a full 8-hour rest in one go.

Nonetheless, Nick was able to function in the daytime as long as he took 20-minute naps whenever he could. He found that doing so never let the dream progress _too far_ and as a result, he felt himself becoming immune to Macy's scantily dressed presence in her short volleyball shorts and a jersey that may or may not have become more see-through each night.

Since that weekend in the car with his brothers, however, he'd given much thought to their advice. Surely he could excuse the fact that his brother's didn't know he was talking about Macy the whole time and _actually consider_ taking a break from her, but then again what was there to take a break from? Already when Nick wasn't trying to stare at her in both English and Pre-Cal, he'd try to look too busy to talk in the hallways. Fake phone calls were his best bet and sometimes Nick liked to "write down lyrics" because he knew she would never interrupt his creative time. Even when she'd text him he figured he could always tell her he was too busy or that her text didn't go through.

Either way, Nick spent his time finding ways to avoid her enough. All attempts worked until he found a note on his desk Thursday morning – one he could tell was from Macy Misa herself among all the other notes he'd occasionally get from the girls in the class.

_Nick-  
Sorry if I did something wrong. Let me know if there's any way I can make it up to you. Hope all is well – I miss ya, buddy.  
- Macy.  
PS: It'd mean a lot to me if you could make it to my game today. If not, I'll understand._

Class began by the time Nick swept all other notes into his backpack, and rather than pay attention to what their English teacher began to draw on the board, Nick decided to write back while occasionally glancing over to the other end of the room where Macy sat, fighting sleep.

It took Nick all class period to write the _right_ response, but eventually he was able to write one that wasn't too heavy on how nice she looked in her tennis jersey (or how she might look in a black tube dress). Unfortunately, Macy raced out of the room as soon as the bell rang, and Nick could only hope he wasn't the reason.

_Well, maybe it's better this way. Who knows what other stupid things I can do in front of her._

...

"Nick!" Macy called out, waving from the court cage. Soon after other girls from the team noticed and also started to greet him, hoping to catch his attention over the others.

But Macy was the only one Nick saw when he arrived (it was hard not to because the way she waved her racket was a real hazard for the girl who shared her side of the court). As he smiled and waved back, he leaned forward to watch her rally.

All had gone well, as far as the warm-up (since the other school had yet to arrive) went and as far as Nick was concerned. He was comfortable and showed no signs of becoming "_distracted"_. In fact, he was more into marveling over Macy's perfect backhands and how she never once missed the ball, skilled enough to return it just above the net. Even when she played the net, Macy was fearless. She knew how to volley the ball at her opponent's feet and leave them with little time to react.

From time to time Macy would glance over at Nick and smile, and he would offer her a nod and clap when she'd land a great shot. Sure, it was just a warm-up, but Nick was excited to see her _really _play.

Until they were instructed to start practicing their serves.

"Hang on," Macy paused, dropping her racket. "I can't play in these sweats. It's getting too hot."

_Oh no. _Everything suddenly went in slow motion.

Macy's thumbs rimmed around the waistband of her conservative sweat pants before she pushed them down. As she did, she revealed the navy tennis skirt she'd been wearing underneath, all of which stopped at mid-thigh and left nothing but nicely tanned skin that ran down to her tennis sneakers.

With her sweats at her ankles, Macy stepped out and kicked the pants aside. Nick was able to gulp down the sudden rush inside of him, but once she positioned herself for her serve – oh, did he panic.

Macy tossed the ball up, and as her other reached to direct it over the net with her racket, Nick's jaw dropped at the slip of skin that was left exposed from underneath the hem of her shirt, and he wished her serve would have lasted a few seconds longer.

_No, wait! No I don't!_

Nick frantically started wiping the oncoming sweat from his face and neck. The sun, he decided, was getting way too hot, but even when he unbuttoned the top button of his shirt he couldn't get cool enough.

He tried to manage it – really, he did. He tried to sit still and not move, watch as the girls on Macy's court struggled to return her ruthless serves, but the increased tightness of his pants were convincing him otherwise.

Once the other school arrived, Nick bolted. _I just – need to take care of this. Then I'll come back_. Keeping his bag in front of him was his best bet when rushing into the gym and into the boy's locker room.

...

Tennis is not a loud sport, which made Nick paranoid about being heard while trying to get his pants down in his stall. He'd never fumbled with a belt so much before in his life, but he felt he couldn't get it open fast enough. "C'mon!" Nick grumbled, finally looping out his belt and unbuttoning himself.

His hand was about to reach for his boxers before a rush of guilt overcame him – because really, was he _really_ going to do this? And in the locker room of all places?

Then, from the open window, Nick could hear them announce in the distance, "And Horace Mantis Academy's First Singles player, Macy Misa!"

_Yep. Got no other choice. _

Leaning back against the wall, Nick took in a deep breath and slipped his hand beneath the fabric of his boxers. When he closed his eyes, he tried not to think about her in her skirt, or her in a dress, or her – no matter what she wore. Instead, he tried to think of rainbows and leprechauns - anything else that would save him from doing something as shameful as masturbate in school.

But he had no luck. Somehow, even when he'd think about baseball, he'd think about what base he'd want to go with Macy. When he thought about baking cookies, he'd imagine her there to help (conveniently seated on top of the counter top) and when he'd think about homework, he'd think about Macy... _again. _

Nick shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. Closing his eyes would leave him completely vulnerable, and instead he figured that if he could watch the game from the safety of the boy's locker room window, his problems would _at least_ be hidden. Furthermore, watching from a distance might help to ease his "troubles" and decided that it wouldn't hurt to try.

Pulling and holding his jeans up as he climbed onto the toilet seat, he carefully peered out the high window ceil. When he squinted, he could see she her on her court and ignore the slip of her jersey as she served. He found that he was able to breathe easy for a brief moment, all seeming to be too good of a plan until Macy just _had_ to bend over to pick up a ball, and Nick just _had_ to catch a glimpse of what he figured was her underwear.

_What the hell am I doing?_ Nick thought to himself as he dropped off the toilet. _Why am I doing this?_ He pounded his forehead against the stall's door and groaned. With his hand slipping back downward, Nick could only think of ways to apologize to Macy for thinking about her _that way._

...

"Hey Nick." Macy dryly greeted, startling Nick as he arrived at the courts

"Macy!"

Nick didn't have to look around to see that the courts were empty. He didn't even have to look at Macy to see she was upset.

She hopped off the bleachers and walked to meet him as she handed him a piece of paper. "I'm sorry. It's probably really selfish of me to wish for you to be at one of my games."

"Wait – what's this?"

"I just... don't want you to promise me anything, okay?"

"What are you talking about?"

Staring for a moment, Macy then tore her eyes away from Nick as she opened the paper, revealing that it was the note he left in her locker earlier that day. "Dear Macy," she began to read.

"Oh, please. Macy, don't-"

"No worries, all is good…"

"Aw, c'mon.."

Macy then began to read louder, leaving Nick to notice the hints of betrayal straining in her voice, "Sorry to worry you – if anything, _I'll_ make it up to _you_ by going to your tennis game today. See you there, _Nick_."

"Look, you've gotta understand-"

"That what? You're a busy rockstar? I know. I get it, alright? I already said it was stupid of me to expect you'd show up."

"It's not that!"

"But you know-" glaring now, Macy shoved the note into Nick's chest. She must have noticed the dampness of the shirt that clung to him as she added, "You don't have to lie. Don't promise you'll be here if you plan on… _showering_ instead."

Daring to push him back in the process, Macy turned away from Nick and headed for her moped.

Because yes – that was her form of transportation.

"No, wait! Macy! C'mon. Let me explain!"

"I don't want to hear it!" Macy exclaimed without looking back. She swung both her gym bag and backpack over her shoulder, secured her helmet on, and climbed on her scooter before adding, "Oh, and the P.S. note? What was that about? –Oh, wait, forget it. You'll probably be too busy to answer that, huh?"

With that said, Macy backed out and tried not to look any more frustrated by her moped stalling in the middle of her dramatic exit. Nick was about to offer her a ride home, but soon enough she got it started and raced out of view within seconds.

Nick remained in place – hair _still _dripping wet and all.

* * *

**Currently: Spring Break Kick-off Bonfire**

"What did I tell you about being _too_ match-y?" Stella scolded as she swiped Nick's favorite fedora off his head.

"Hey!"

"No. Look here." Placing the hat on the obviously uncomfortable Macy Misa, who stood beside Stella and more reluctantly in front of Nick, Stella applauded herself for what she considered a finishing touch to Macy's outfit. "You see? Another stellar look by the one and only, Stella Malone. _Thank you_, thank you."

_Wow. She's right.._. Despite the evening's darkness, Nick could already tell that the hat _did_ look much better on Macy.

"Hey, nice hat," Joe added, sneaking up behind the group and skillfully slipping his arm around Stella's waist.

Both Nick and Macy raised their brows to his gesture, but surprisingly Stella didn't mind. Instead, the two smiled as they walked on towards the bonfire Kevin started on the other end of the beach. They looked rather happy together, in fact, and even though their silhouette was the only part of them that could be seen against the brightness of the fire ahead, Nick was sure they had already made up.

"Looks like they didn't need the bonfire after all," He casually noted.

But Macy shot him quick glare, "Don't talk to me," before following the two over.

_...Grreeaat..._

Though it had only been two days since Macy's tennis match, Nick felt like it'd been months since the two had talked. Sure, he avoided her all week, but knowing she was outright _avoiding him_ made his stomach clench with guilt.

Had Macy known _why_ he opted to shower instead of sit outside and watch her game, she might have forgiven him.

But on second thought, she might have slapped him, too. They were friends. Objectifying Macy in such a way only undermined her other amazing qualities – qualities he knew she always had but failed to really notice.

Nonetheless, Nick would be lying if he said he didn't know when he first started noticing her. He knew the day it happened and could pinpoint what first caught his eye. There was no convincing him otherwise because now, he couldn't help _but_ notice her. She haunted his every thought. The more he tried the avoid it, the more troublesome it became. It was exhausting battling himself so much, but he swore that now –

"Hey Nick!" Kevin called out to him, "C'mon! We're starting to roast marshmallows here!"

"Yeah, alright!" Shaking his head, Nick kept his hands stuffed into his shorts' pockets as he made his way towards the crowd. He offered casual greetings to those who came, and promised he'd play a song later for those who asked. He tried to act normal, but really he was more focused on accompanying the lonely Macy on the other side of the fire.

"Hey," Nick greeted as he crouched down beside her. "Can we talk?"

Macy refused to look at him as she pulled her stick out of the fire, and tried not to look surprised when her marshmallow came out engulfed in flames. "Are you sure you really want to talk to me, _Nick?_"

He hated how she emphasized his name.

Blowing out the flame in an instant, Nick spoke up again before she could protest, "please?" and hoped that she could at least give him credit for his persistence.

Huffing and tossing her marshmallow and stick back into the fire, which Kevin noticed and cried out for (he hated wasting his white-fluffy friends), Macy marched towards the water. Nick figured this was an invitation to speak in private.

He followed her lead and stopped once the water reached their ankles.

"Well?" Macy waited, "Go ahead and say whatever you want to."

"I just... I want to say I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what? Being a rock star?" Macy rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. She kicked at the in-coming waves, and glared when they, too, insisted on invading her space. "Please. I already feel stupid for thinking you'd have the time to watch little ol' me play a stupid tennis match."

"C'mon, Macy," he begged. "It wasn't a stupid tennis match. I mean, you won, didn't you?"

Suddenly, Macy's expression dropped, and she took a few moments to process what Nick had just said. "You heard I won?" She casually asked, trying not to give in so easily.

"Correction. I _saw_ you win. I watched your game, Mace."

"Pfft. Unbelievable. I didn't see you sitting in the bleachers. There's no way-"

"Well, I wasn't sitting _there_. But I watched from... just trust me. I saw it." _I have the bruises to prove it - And additional note to self: next time, use a chair. Not a toilet seat._

"Oh yeah?" She quirked a brow and stepped towards him with a narrowed look, "Prove it."

Without waiting, Macy turned and walked further down the beach, heading into the water at knee length. She didn't expect Nick to follow closely behind her (he never liked the feeling of wet clothes sticking to his body, unless they were made for that purpose) and hoped he would take the hint, but this time he was determined. "Even though the other girl cheated you and called some of your shots out when they were definitely in, you won the first set 6-2. You ended 5 of those games without her getting passed 15."

"..What?" Macy asked, stopping and slowly spinning around in disbelief.

"In your second game they played better, but you still won 6-0. You finished your game before anyone else on the courts, and helped other girls warm up for their matches even though you were dying to grab another PowerAde from the vending machines."

Her cheeks then flushed as her eyes dipped away from and down to the rising water. He could tell she was trying to speak, because it sounded like she was trying to grab onto the right words, but soon enough Macy looked up again with a bashful smile and shrugged. "I didn't even know – I mean…"

"Just please, trust me. I watched your game. Not from the bleachers but I had a good enough view."

Nodding, Macy's eyes began to wander around nervously. It was weird because that was totally Nick's job (at least as it had been for the past three weeks) but now Nick felt more in control of himself, more confident. More-

"So you weren't avoiding me then?"

"What?" He asked, surprised by her question. "What would make you think that?"

Macy shrugged again as her nose wrinkled in thought. "I don't know. I just thought that maybe you've been avoiding me since that day in the sports store when, you know… I tried to kiss you or something."

_WHOA, WAIT. HOLD UP. REWIND._

"Kiss me?"

"I know! I know! It was stupid of me!" Macy's hands reached up to cover her heated cheeks, but the way she sank back into embarrassment only made her look more endearing. "I got carried away. I don't know what came over me. I wasn't thinking and I thought that maybe you wanted to, and I know that's silly because why would you-"

"Macy," Nick interrupted, nearly grinning as he stepped towards her. "You have _no_ idea."

"Huh?"

Shaking his head, Nick paused, just inches from her as his hands came to rest at her hips. He hesitated at first, waiting for any signs of her resisting, but instead he felt her eyes on him –_waiting for him_ – and as he leaned in close –

_WOOOOSH!_

"What the?"

Nick had nearly fallen over, but caught himself before he could hit the sand completely. His eyes were stinging from the salty splashes of water, but as soon as the larger wave subsided, he was able to wipe his eyes clear and spot Macy standing there in shock – looking just as drenched as he was.

"Oh. My. God…" Macy gasped.

"Oh my go-"

"MACY!" Familiar voices called out from the distance. The two looked back to see Stella, Joe, and Kevin running to them – more so Stella as both Joe and Kevin were stumbling from laughter. "Are you alright?"

"Yes…" Macy replied assuredly, forcing out a smile to the incoming group before glancing down at Nick. "I think I'm okay."

"Oh, your _outfit!_ Joe! Joe! Give me your jacket."

"Haha, that was PERFECT!" Joe cried out, finally reaching them while in the process of slipping out of his coat. He handed it to Stella, who then motioned for Macy to walk towards her. "We saw this HUUUGE wave coming in, and then BAM! It hits you guys!"

Kevin chimed in, barely able to breathe from laughing as hard, "We didn't even see you guys there until the wave came in! Man, it was AWESOME!"

Nick, however, ignored the hysterical laughter from his brothers and instead rushed to get his own shirt unbuttoned. "Wait! It's fine! She can wear my shirt!"

"Are you kidding me?" Stella spatted out. "You're wet too! And besides, that's a short-sleeved shirt you ding-wad. How is that supposed to keep her warm?"

As Joe's jacket was swung around Macy's shoulders, Nick felt a tinge of jealousy and embarrassment hit him. Sure it was his brother, but Nick wanted to redeem himself and for once be the one who did something right. Luckily, though, the smile Macy flashed at him eased his envy – but failed to save him from blushing.

"C'mon, you guys," Kevin finally breathed out, ringing his arm around Nick's shoulders as he lead the group back, "Let's get you warmed up by the fire."

Joe followed along, but continued to reenact the scene by pretending to be the wave and swinging his arms over Nick's head with a laughed-out wooshing sound. He could not get over it.

"Please, Joe." Nick grumbled, shaking his head. "You're spitting on me."

"Wait!" Macy slipped out from Stella's hold, and before Stella could grab her she reminded them, "I have to get Nick's hat!"

With that said, the group continued on, but Nick slipped out from Kevin's grasp as well to keep Macy… company.

"Ah, here it is." She sighed as she picked up the fedora from the ground. Macy was kind enough to dust off the wet sand and was about to hand it over before Nick swiped the hat aside. "Hey… what was that for?"

Nick, however, could have cared less. Instead, without thinking, he grabbed a hold of her wrists and leaned in – leading with his lips to meet hers for a kiss.

Though the two remained still, Nick wondered if it was Macy's lips that were shaking or if it was his. Either way, he was now able to say he had, indeed, kissed Macy Misa. Knowing this made him relax, and once he got his breathing back under control he slowly let go of her hands in favor for her hips – to which she responded by reaching up and wrapping her arms around his neck.

Macy's lips were soft, and molded perfectly against his own. He pressed light kisses at first, kissing in a similar manner like that of his dreams except that this was less desperate and instead he took the time to savior every second. In fact, this felt a thousand times better than he could have imagined. The nervous butterflies in his stomach were relentless, yes, but to him it was a fair enough trade.

Nick dared to invite her into the kiss more by parting his lips, his tongue barely brushing over hers. Her response, in turn, left him _dying_ for her to grab onto the fabric of his shirt and pull him in closer, her hands slipping down to press at his chest. However, she instead began to push him away, and he reluctantly followed orders with softly gasped breaths, "I'm sorry," Nick apologized, eyes still clearly focused on her kiss swollen lips. "I just- I really wanted to-"

"Do you think I'm pretty?" Macy asked quietly.

_Crap. Is this another trick question?_ Not that Nick would have said she wasn't. "Are you really asking?"

Macy's cheeks flushed, but her hands gripped at Nick's shirt as she shrugged, "No, I've just been dying to know since I read your note."

"My note?" _What the heck did I write?_

"Yeah. Or rather, the P.S. part. Where you said 'I think you're pretty cute…' but then there was a whole mess after that. It looked like you erased a lot so I was wondering what you were trying to say..."

"_Oh, that."_ He said both in his head and out loud. Blushing as well, Nick waited for the right words to come to him. Patiently waited this time. Because really, he could have sworn he erased that bit _entirely_. "It's been weird these past few weeks, actually... I know I've been acting strange, but I feel like I haven't been able to look at you the same way since I met you before school that one morning. And I mean that in a good way. Because I do think you're... attractive. _Very_ attractive… but. You're my friend. It's been hard thinking about you. Like _that._"

Nodding along, Macy bit her lip again before glancing back up to him. "Is it only my looks, then?"

"No, 'course not. I mean – I can't – I can't really explain it." Nick sighed and gave off a nervous laugh, shaking his head as he looked out at the water to avoid the distraction of her stare. "Man, if I could I would just write-"

"A song about it?" Macy grinned, "You and your writing, Nick..."

"But that's the thing-" Nick then grabbed her hands, but held them against his chest. "I haven't even been able to write since that morning. Everyone knows I've tried, but I've felt stuck. I _feel_ stuck. I don't know what it is, but things have been so different and confusing, I don't know what to do. "

Raising a brow again, Macy pulled her lips in a nervous bite. For a moment Nick thought it was because he was holding her and maybe he should let go, but soon enough her fingers threaded over his thumbs. "Are you happy about it?"

_Huh?_ "About what?"

"About this," Macy said, squeezing his thumbs. "Or about feeling stuck – in whatever you're 'stuck' in."

_Oh._ "Happy... about us? Like this? As friends?"

Macy nodded. "Yes, but also with being 'stuck'."

And then it hit him. Like a pile of freakin' bricks, it finally hit him.

"No," he shook his head, "I'm not happy about it. It actually sucks feeling like I'm stuck being friends with you and liking you so much."

"Liking me?" She asked, her eyes brightening, "_Like_ me like me? Or just like me?"

Nick chuckled, "_Like_ you like you. In fact, that's been frustrating me the most these past few weeks – not feeling like I've been able to do anything about it and all. I mean you'd be shocked to know just how much it's been haunting me, but it has."

Macy simply nodded, slowly at first with her eyes refusing to meet his, before she finally asked, "what are you suggesting then?"

Casually shrugging, Nick played it off as coolly as possible – it was probably the most confident he'd felt in a long time, and though he was on the line of becoming cocky, he brought both of their hands down to their sides and laced his fingers in with hers. "Honestly? I'd like to be something more. To try it, you know? And I know it's a risk because we're friends and most wouldn't want to risk their friendship, but I feel – no, I _know_ I care about you enough to take that kind of a risk. I mean, only if you want to of course."

_Yeah. Probably should have waited to ask her before you get too full of yourself there, Nick._ And now he was left to wait for her to say something.

To say anything.

...Anything, really. "Macy?" Nick asked.

Suddenly, she looked up to him – eyes as bright as ever and her smile beaming from end to end. "Well, um. Yeah. Yes, of course. I'd like that a lot, actually."

Nick then breathed out a huge sigh of relief, and couldn't stop himself from smiling either.

The two uttered nervous and repeated _okay's _and_ alright's_, with stolen kisses in between (of course) and remained at their end of the beach until another one of Kevin's marshmallow cries compelled them to rejoin the group.

As they walked, Nick kept an arm around Macy but anyone would say it was because he was keeping her warm.

Even when the two sat close by the fire, the others reasoned it was because they were both cold.

To everyone else, Nick and Macy acted as normal as ever. Macy continued to burn marshmallows to a crisp, and in between songs Nick would blow out the flames and offer her another one to roast.

Only when everyone else's attention was placed on either the beach, each other, or the stars did Macy loop her arm around Nick while he played, and rub along his arm to keep him warm.

Nick, in turn, would occasionally help Macy burry her feet in the sand, and help her stack her s'mores when she seemed to always drop the chocolate. He teased her about her inability to cook, and she teased him about his inability to stand in water. "The wave wasn't that big," she'd say.

But Nick didn't care. He'd let it go in stride because eventually, when Macy did fall asleep on his shoulder, all he could think about was a million different ways express how happy he was and how he looked forward to the rest of the year.

* * *

_**The End**_

* * *

_**A/N: Thank you all again for reading! And if you have the time, reviews would be lovely :]**_


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